Stocking and method of making same



Jan. 5, 1954 M. M. LIHN 2,664,726

Send of the toe portion, at line 20.

Paented Jan. 5, 1954 mano UNITED s'rATEs PATENT oFFIcE STOCKIN G ANDMETHOD OF MAKIN G SAME Manuel M. Lihn, Clementon, N. J.

Application December 22, 1949, Serial No. 134,479

7 Claims.

My invention relates to stockings and it is an object of the same toprovide a novel full-fashioned stocking and a method of making the sameon a single unit machine in such manner that the sole reinforcementshall be limited to the Walking surface of the foot and shall not bevisible either from the side or from the rear When the stocking is inuse, i. e., when the foot is in standing position.

Another object is to provide a nylon stocking With a reinforcement ofimproved character, such that the sole shall be effectively reinforcedwith yarn of such a character as to avoid the clammy feeling of nylon inthe summer, yet shall avoid the cold feeling of nylon in the Winter.

Referring to the annexed drawing, which is made a part of thisapplication4 and in which similar reference characters indicate similarparts:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a stocking that is laid out fiat, as seenon the counter for sale, and

Figure 2 is a bottom plan of the stocking on the foot of the user.

In the drawing, reference character lil indicates the leg of a knittedstocking, consisting of 4' nylon yarn, and usually consisting of asingle knitted nylon yarn as customary in sheer hose. The knittingcontinues down to the beginning of the high spliced area i i, Whereanother nylon yarn is added for the purpose of reinforcing the area atand above the heel of a Wearer's foot, the heel of the stocking hereshown being the stippled portion at the rear of the stocking. w

This area may be of the shape commonly known as the Pointex heel, or ofany other conventional or desirable shape, and is shown dotted orstippled to indicate the presence of two nylon yarns, i. e., a main orbody yarn and a splicing yarn.

At the rearrnost point of the Walking surface of the foot, there isadded a silk reinforcing yarn, this yarn being incorporated in theknitted fabric according to a novel method of Operation of a single unitfull-fashioned knitting machine. The

Width of the silk reinforcement at the point of i introduction isgoverned by the Width of the sole at the arch or instep of the foot, thesole of the stocking, as the term is here used, being that part of thestocking below line 19 in the draW- ing, and extending from the line itto the rear This Width will likewise afford sufficient coverage for thesole at said rearmost point.

In the drawing, the presence of silk is indicated by the shading in thesole of the stocking, and

thus the combined stippling and shading in the area at the bottom of theheel between lines 12 and lt indicates reinforcement With a sill: yarnand also a nylon splicing yarn. The Width of the sole reinforcement atthe line i to a position just beyond the last sole narrowing at It isuniform because of a special movement of the silk yarn carrier. Thisuniformity is maintained by widening along the line Il' as narrowing istaking place along a parallel line at i8. Each time the stocking narrowstwo needles, the Pointex widens the silk carrier tWo needles, so that itwill maintain a Constant Width for the silk sole reinforcement. Duringthe Widening process of the sill; carrier, it is constantly approachingthe inside selvage of the nylon reinforcement along line i9. After thelast heel narrowing, the silk carrier is feeding the silk yarn exactlythe same Width as the nylon reinforcement carrier is feeding the nylonyarn. The nylon reinforcement carrier is eliminated at this point andthe sole reinforcement is provided by the silk carrier throughout theremainder of the sole. From this point on, the knitting Operation of thefoot is carried on in a conventional manner.

It Will be noted that no part of the sole reinforcement of thisspecially Constructed stocking Will be visible from the side, rear orfront of the foot When the stocking is in use. This is particularlydesirable when being worn With shoes having open toes, sides and/orheels.

In practicing my invention, I prefer touse silk yarn which is degummed.A degummed. sill: has been found to be the most practicable because iteliminates bleeding of oils and gums from the silk to the nylon duringthe preboarding of the stocking.

Silk yarn is preferable to nylon in this part of the stocking by reasonof its better absorptive powers, cushioning action and because it avoidsthe clammy feeling of nylon in the summer and the cold feeling of nylonin the winter. HoWever, the special knitting process still pernn'ts thesheer beauty of nylon to be maintained throughout all visible parts ofthe stocking. It may be here stated that in tests performed by competentscientists, comparing moisture absorption of stockings made entirely ofnylon and those made of nylon plus silk, the saturation point of thespecial stocking employing nylon and silk Was found to be much higherthan that of the stocking made entirely of nylon. Obviously, moistureabsorption is a most desirable auality in a stoching.

It Will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations in thefeatures heroin disclosecl may be made, al1 Without departing from thespirit of the invention; and, therefore, I do not limit nyself to whatis shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only asindicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I olaim is:

1. A singleunit full-fashioned stocking having a nylon leg and instep, anylon reinforced heel and toe, and a sole portion reinforced with Silkyarn over its Walking surface only, no part of said reinforced soleportion being visible When in use.

2. A full-fashioned stocking having a leg and instep of nylon yarn, asole reinforced With Silk yarn, and a heel and toe each reinforced Withnylon and silk yarn.

3. A full-fashioned stocking having a leg and instep of nylon yarn, aheel and toe each reinforced With nylon yarn, and a sole reinforced Withdegumrned silk yarn to prevent bleeding of gums and oils from the silkto the nylon during the preboarding of the stocking.

4. A full-fashioned stocking having a leg and instep of nylon yarn, aheel and toe each reinforced With nylon yarn, and a sole reinforced WithSilk yarn, no part of the sole reinforcement being visible from the sideor rear when the stocking is in use.

the walking surface of the foot and the bottom of the heel, no part ofsaid reinforcement being visible When the stocking is in use, saidreinforced sole portion including parallel heel nar- 5. A single unitfull-fashioned nylon stocking having a sole reinforcement of silkextending over the walking surface of the foot, no part of saidreinforcement being Visible when the stocking is in use.

6. A single unit full-fashioned nylon stocking having a silk solereinforcement extending over rowings, and the reinforcement beingwidened at its upper margin in step with the heel narrowings so as toinaintain the reinforcernent of uniform Width.

7. A method of knitting from a single unit fullfashioned stooking blankcomprising the steps cf knitting a leg and instep from a nylon yarn,adding a nylon reinforcing yarn in the high splice and sole, adding asilk yarn at the rearinost margin of the walking surface of the foot,forming a heel portion With narrowings at opposite sides of the midlineof the blank, and Widening the reinforced area at opposite margins asthe narroW- ings are formed so as to keep the Width of the reinforcedarea constant.

MANUEL M. LIHN.

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia June 24, 1947 Number Number

